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'Fun'ctional Fitness

By Brad BloomPublisher, Faith and Fitness Magazine

CBN.com 
No one has ever lost weight and kept it off if they didn’t enjoy
it. That’s why so many diets fail to work. If you’ve been
tortured by low-carb meals and unmotivated to use your gym membership
it is time to openly ask the question you’ve been secretly wondering…
Where’s the FUN factor?

If you had no obligations, an unlimited budget, and total freedom to
do whatever you wanted, what would you do? Most of us would do something
that gives us some level of personal enjoyment. It would be fun --- maybe
REALLY fun.

The reality is that we have many responsibilities, limited resources,
and quite a few restrictions on our time, attention and energy. That often
translates into personal fitness being a scheduled activity that is a
low priority. The natural progression is to reschedule, cancel, and finally
forget about it altogether. The cycle of inactivity, gaining weight, and
declining health continues.

In an effort to prevent that from happening we often resort to drastic
and dramatic measures. The diets are painful and the exercise is uninspired.
You hate it but you do it. If you’re tired of a self-defeating lifestyle
then draw on a Christian outlook to make fitness functional for you.

The Bible instructs us to rejoice, give thanks, and praise God. To honestly
do that, you have to truly be thankful. Pursue joy, goodness, and peace.
Find hope and promise each day.

Fill your days with active fun. If you are a parent get physically involved
with your children regardless of their age. If they are young you may
chase them around the house or wrestle on the floor with them. If they
are older the possibilities are unlimited. Whatever you do remember that
you don’t have to be the best at it. In fact you don’t have
to do it well at all. Just have fun.

If you’re single join others in doing something physical. You can
join others that are already doing something or find someone that is doing
nothing and start an activity together. What is important is that you
choose something that you want to do. Resist the fear of what others think.
Make your pursuit of fun your personal pursuit of Christ.

Food can be fun too. In fact it has to be fun. God designed our sense
of taste to bring pleasure. He made us to experience satisfaction through
a full stomach. His Word calls us to use wisdom and exercise self-control.
To really find the fun factor in food discipline how often you fill your
stomach and what you use to fill it. A nutritionist or dietician can give
you many ideas for balanced eating.

“Are you having fun yet?” Keep asking yourself that question.
After all we’re created for God’s pleasure.

Brad
Bloom is the publisher of Faith & Fitness Magazine and the president
of Lifestyle Media Group. He produces resources that empower people to experience
their faith through their lifestyle interests. His speaking, presentations,
and media inspire churches and audiences to build new vision and fuel potential
within the human spirit. He can be reached at brad@faithandfitness.net.

Reprinted with permission. Faith & Fitness Magazine
and Lifestyle Media Group. Faith
& Fitness Magazine is a lifestyle resource to build physical
and spiritual strength. It helps readers make connections between the
Christian faith and the fitness lifestyle.